Mamón chino is thought to have originated in Indonesia and Malaysia, where it is called rambutan (“ram-boo-tan”). In Costa Rica, mamón chino roughly translates to “Chinese sucker.” Since that doesn’t really have a nice ring to it in English, we just call them mamón chinos, since that is easiest enough to say.
They are also called mamones (“ma-moan-nez”) for short. These fruits grow on farms, primarily in the Caribbean and the Osa Peninsula. Once a tree has matured enough to bear fruit, green thorny balls will appear that gradually turn red as they ripen over the course of about 6 months.
How do you eat them?
For beginners, this hairy, funny-looking fruit can look quite intimidating to eat.
Fear not — devouring them is easy. Just slice open the lychee, or the outside around the center with a small knife (or your fingernails), and pop off the top. Or if you’re really impatient, gnaw at it with your teeth until you’ve exposed the fleshy insides.
Once you’ve discarded the red spiked shell, pop the smooth white oblong sphere into your mouth. We think it tastes and feels similar to the inside of a grape. However, gently chew or suck on because there is a large seed in the middle, which you can spit out and throw away (although some say that you can boil the pits and eat them for an extra nutritional kick).
The inside of a Mamón Chino.